Do You Floss Every Day? Learn Why You Should

Do you floss every day, or only just before you visit a dentist in Watton for your check-up? We are well aware many people find flossing awkward, and that some just think it is unnecessary unless they can feel something is stuck in between the teeth. Here at Together Dental Watton we have heard just about every single reason for not flossing, which is why we’d like to explain to you the reason for flossing and its importance to your dental health.

Why You Need to Floss

Lots of people think the whole reason for flossing is to get rid of bits of food stuck in between your teeth when in fact the main reason is to get rid of plaque. Every day a sticky layer of plaque builds up over your teeth and in between them. Most plaque is removed through brushing, but any plaque in the contact areas in between your teeth will remain.

The problem with plaque is that it contains bacteria that produce toxins which will infect your gums and these bacteria are responsible for causing gum disease which is the main reason for tooth loss.

Plaque hardens into tartar within just a couple of days and this is a hard substance that can only be scaled or scraped away by a hygienist during your regular scale and polish. Tartar also produces toxins that are harmful to your gums. If you think brushing is good enough then just consider this; the contact areas in between your teeth account for around a third of all your tooth surfaces. Do you really want to neglect such a large surface area?

Problems with Flossing? We Can Help

Often people don’t floss regularly because they find it too tricky. It really isn’t that difficult once you know how. A common mistake is to use a piece of dental floss that is much too short when ideally you need a length of at least 30-45 cm. Wrap the ends of the dental floss around the middle finger of each hand so you can use your thumbs and forefingers to manipulate the floss.

Gently slide the floss in between your teeth, taking it right down to just below the gum line. Next, form a C shape with the floss to follow the shape of the tooth and slide the dental floss up and down several times to remove as much plaque as possible from this area. Then you can move onto cleaning the next tooth, winding on the dental floss so you use a clean section each time. If you’d like a quick demonstration on flossing then just ask our Watton dentist next time you visit us.

Using Interdental Brushes Instead

If you cannot get on with dental floss then there are alternatives and interdental brushes can be very useful for anyone who finds dental floss a bit hard to manipulate. Interdental brushes are tiny brushes that come in a variety of widths and which will fit in between your teeth, cleaning these contact areas. They can be very effective and are especially good for cleaning around dental appliances such as braces and dental implants and dental bridges.

Please don’t forget that we are here to help you and are always only too happy to demonstrate the correct way to brush and floss your teeth or to talk to you about alternative ways to clean your teeth. You can book an appointment by giving us a call on 01953 882777.